Developmental Assets

What are developmental assets?

Developmental assets are factors that can help youth throughout childhood and adolescence. These assets are an important part of health development, the more assets a child has, the more likely youth will make positive choices, excel in school, and stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Internal Assets: Internal assets exist within each youth, including strengths, and values. These assets influence the choices and decisions a young person makes.

School is an encouraging environment and parents are engaged in school success

Youth feel safe at home, school and in their neighborhood

Parents and other adults and positive, responsible role models

Youth is not often “out with friends with nothing special to do”

Youth reads for pleasure at least three hours per week

Youth accept and take personal responsibility

Youth can resist peer pressure and dangerous situations

Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school

Youth’s friends exhibit responsible behavior

Youth do NOT believe it is important to use alcohol or other drugs

Youth can resolve conflict without violence

Young person is willing to seek parent(s) advice and counsel

Family and teachers encourage youth to do well

Youth report high self esteem and “my life has a purpose”

Young person experiences caring neighbors

Youth feel he or she has control over “things that happen to me”

The above table contains examples of some factors in young people's lives identified by the Search Institute as increasing the likeliness that a young person grows up healthy, caring, and responsible. The material in this table was adapted from the Search Institute, Thresher Square West, 700 South Third Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415.

Building Assets in Youth

Everyone in the community can help to build developmental assets in youth! Here's some examples of how! (Adapted from the Search Institute, Thresher Square West, 700 South Third Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415).

Family

Businesses

Schools

Local Government

Share a meal with youth and learn more about each other

Develop policies for parents to be active in their child’s life

Make a policy to provide a caring environment for all students

Make asset development a priority

Limit TV watching

Create opportunities for employees to build relationships with youth by mentoring, volunteering, and internships

Develop mentoring opportunities between teens and elementary students

Partner with organizations to create safe places for youth to “hang out” and have opportunities

Read together

Provide resources to youth development programs

Promote efforts to promote healthy lifestyles

Strengthen ordinances to reduce or eliminate underage access to alcohol and tobacco

Serve the community together

Include service learning, values development, relationship building and other asset-building opportunities into curriculum

Support neighborhood-building initiatives

Welcome child’s friends into the home

Increase parent involvement in schools

Unfortunately, sexual minorities often face social stigma, discrimination, and other challenges like violence and harassment, not experienced by those who identify as heterosexual. These challenges mixed with other stressors lead sexual minorities to be at an increased risk for substance use. According to SAMHSA, substance use disorders affect 20 to 30% of the LGBTQIA+ population, compared to 8.4% of the general population. People who identify as gay and lesbian are more than twice as likely as those who identify as heterosexual to have a severe alcohol or tobacco use disorder. That number raises to three times as likely for people who identify as bisexual, and five times as likely for people who are unsure how to identify their sexuality (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2017). The Vernon ROCKS Coalition wants everyone to know there are supportive people, and resources to help and you are not alone. We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. Visit our website for more information. www.vernonrocksct.org/pride-month/... See MoreSee Less